Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos

Author:Karen Doornebos
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2011-07-22T16:00:00+00:00

Three hours later, Mrs. Crescent was sparkling with hope. “Thank goodness you won your Accomplishment Points for the day. We’re up to fifteen now. You’re almost as accomplished a dancer as Miss Gately, that wonderful charge of mine, was. A shame that she had to leave. But you have her level of talent, nearly.”

“Well, that is a compliment,” Chloe said, collapsing onto a settee. She craved a bottle of ice-cold water. When was the last time she craved water? The dancing made her thirsty, dizzy, and sweaty. Mrs. Crescent rang for tea.

Chloe whispered, “Tell me more about William. The lump is benign, right?”

Mrs. Crescent rubbed her pregnant belly. She eyed the camera and dropped her newspaper. The headline read THREE HANG ON THE GALLOWS AT NEWGATE. When she bent over to pick the paper up, she whispered back, “That is our hope, but it won’t be properly biopsied until it’s removed. Now. Not a word more of it.”

Fiona came in, spotted the newspaper headline, and just as quickly looked away. “Ladies, a messenger has arrived from Dartworth Hall and your presence is requested in the parlor, if you please.”

This would’ve all been very exciting were it not for thoughts of William losing his curly hair and Abigail with a new stepmom, not to mention the haunting image of three people hanging from the gallows.

In the parlor, a minty-green room with chairs and tables that dotted a heavily carved marble fireplace, Grace, back from her excursion, was looking out the window through a bronze telescope. Her chaperone darned stockings at the table. And, in a chair by the fire, a young redheaded woman, younger than Grace but older than the rest of the women, sat reading a book of poems. She looked up from her book with big green eyes and stood, smiling at Chloe.

Mrs. Crescent made the introduction. “Miss Parker, I’d like you to meet Miss Imogene Wells and her chaperone, Mrs. Hatterbee. Mrs. Hatterbee just returned from London.”

Imogene offered her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Parker.”

Chloe shook, but her hand went limp. Was this woman the latest recruit? And London? What was up with that?

“Surely I told you about Miss Wells.” Mrs. Crescent lowered herself into a neoclassical chair.

“No doubt you did.” Chloe leaned against the chair opposite. She was trying to be as nice as possible about this because Mrs. Crescent’s son was sick.

“Miss Wells took to her room these past few days. Indisposed.”

Chloe’s brows furrowed. “But I opened all the doors—”

“My door was locked,” Miss Wells said.

Chloe could see that Imogene was using one of Sebastian’s calling cards as a bookmark. A corner of the card was folded down, and that meant he’d come calling for her in person, instead of sending a messenger.

“During that time of month, a woman must be confined to her room. There is no other way to manage.”

Chloe tried to do the math. When was she supposed to get her period?! Not anytime soon, she figured. Imogene brought the count up to eight women duking it out for Sebastian.

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